Carmakers ‘should pay for pollution’

Air pollution results in an estimated 40,000 premature deaths each yearMATT CARDY/GETTY IMAGES

Car manufacturers should be forced to contribute to a clean air fund to compensate for the health costs of diesel pollution, MPs will recommend today. The policy would cost some companies hundreds of millions of pounds.

Members of influential Commons committees are also calling for sales of new petrol and diesel cars to be phased out much earlier than 2040, the date set by the government for all new cars to be electric or hybrid.

A clean air act should be introduced to “enshrine the right to clean air in UK law”, according to a joint report by four committees: environment, food and rural affairs; environmental audit; health and social care; and transport.

It describes air pollution as a national health emergency that results in…